The conclusion of Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy did not disappoint me. It did stress me out, but in the way good fiction does when the tension is mountThe conclusion of Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy did not disappoint me. It did stress me out, but in the way good fiction does when the tension is mounting and you don't know how it's all going to work out. When last we saw him, Todd was on the verge of defeating Mayor Prentiss when everything started happening at once: a scout ship arrived, the rebel Answer group attacked, and the Spackle army was on the verge of attack. These factors all come into play as Todd and Viola are separated again, this time by choice, to keep an eye on various factions. The quality and depth of characters, and the ability of each of them to do both good and horrible things, impressed me. The ending was foreshadowed, but by no means felt like a foregone conclusion. One of the best trilogies I've read in recent years; may become a personal classic....more

A poetic, compact story that packs an emotional punch in its topic of the effect war has on the people who fight, and the people who love them. ShoogyA poetic, compact story that packs an emotional punch in its topic of the effect war has on the people who fight, and the people who love them. Shoogy showed up at Curtis's door when living at home wasn't working anymore, and he let her stay. He never talks about his time in Iraq, but sometimes he screams in his sleep. Could be a one-sitting book, and great for discussion. Third book in the Heaven trilogy; I read it alone, which worked, but more context for the characters would've been nice....more

A thin but powerful book about the Christmas Truce of 1914. It begins with a summary of the tense climate in Europe leading up to World War I, especiaA thin but powerful book about the Christmas Truce of 1914. It begins with a summary of the tense climate in Europe leading up to World War I, especially the warlike attitudes of the national leaders. When hundreds of separate truces sprung up along the Western Front on Christmas Eve, it was entirely the soldiers themselves on both sides who made it happen, not their leaders. As usual for Murphy, there are many excellent photos and illustrations. I found myself getting teary and torn between hope and despair: could this sort of thing possibly happen in any of our 21st century conflicts? Or do inflated rhetoric on both sides and the modern engines of war make it nearly impossible?...more

In the sizable body of teen Holocaust fiction, this book stands out as one of the only attempts to be funny about it. In post-WWII Europe, an AmericanIn the sizable body of teen Holocaust fiction, this book stands out as one of the only attempts to be funny about it. In post-WWII Europe, an American ventriloquist with limited talent is visited by a dybbuk, the ghost of a Jewish boy killed in the Holocaust. Despite the man's protests, the dybbuk possesses him and his dummy, much improving the show and furthering the dybbuk's plan to exact revenge on the Nazi who killed him. A bizarre premise that mostly worked for me, thanks to Fleischman's expert dialogue, but I'm guessing it's not for everyone....more

A fable about the Jewish Holocaust as seen through the eyes of a naive 9-year-old boy.

A quick read and a good access point to a difficult but perpetuA fable about the Jewish Holocaust as seen through the eyes of a naive 9-year-old boy.

A quick read and a good access point to a difficult but perpetually fascinating chapter in history. There were a few quibbles I had with the character's almost complete lack of understanding of what was happening in his backyard, and some minor linguistic points (a German boy would not misunderstand "Auschwitz" as "Out-With", or at least it wouldn't translate that way) but even those made for good discussion points.

Great teen book club discussion choice. I paired it with scenes from the movie for a really effective book-to-movie discussion....more

The fifth Temeraire book really gets back on track with all the page-turning action when Napoleon invades England. Can you call it "page-turning" on aThe fifth Temeraire book really gets back on track with all the page-turning action when Napoleon invades England. Can you call it "page-turning" on audio?...more

Another good entry in the series. A dragon super-virus has laid the British aerial core low, and Laurence and Temeraire must journey to darkest AfricaAnother good entry in the series. A dragon super-virus has laid the British aerial core low, and Laurence and Temeraire must journey to darkest Africa to find the cure. A good reading by Simon Vance. However, his impressive vocal flexibility apparently stops short of African accents. They sounded just like his Chinese accents, which was a little painful....more

Alexandra has been seeing how people will die since she was 5, but her family refuses to believe it's true. Then WWI breaks out, and when she sees theAlexandra has been seeing how people will die since she was 5, but her family refuses to believe it's true. Then WWI breaks out, and when she sees the death of her brother she sets out to prevent this one future.

Historical war story with supernatural and mythological twists for added zest....more